"Friends?"

	In the beginning there was Lee and Donald. They were cousins. They also lived within walking
distance from one another. They were pretty good friends. Each of them had other friends but their friends,
for the most part, were not intermeshed. Lee knew Donald's friends and Donald knew Lee's friends but they
didn't share the bonds that they each shared with their friends. For example, Lee knew Donald's friend
Camille but he and Camille don't relate the way Donald and Camille does. Then on the other hand, Donald
knows Lee's friend and neighbor Brent. Lee and Brent are good friends as well but Donald doesn't have
much in common with Brent. Both Donald and Lee have friends, but as a rule, they don't share them. 
There are those like Stephen that they are both friends with but neither of them are as close to
Stephen as they are to their other friends. Though this might sound possessive or immature this is natural
and just incidental. 

	The two of them are not like most of their peers. They just don't fit in with the biggest part of the
crowd. There are a few people that are like them but not a majority. Both of them are what you might call
weird. They don't mind though. They both know it's true. They go to their local church’s cemetery to hang
out. They can't think of a single peer that does that. Even though they are weird they can still fit in with
society. Even if they don't agree with it. 

	Well, back in April, the later half, the two boys when bowling. The bowling alley they bowl, was
starting to sign up for the up coming summer bowing leagues. They two decided they would sign up in the
not so distant future. They practiced often to get in better shape for public performance until the first
meeting date. However; they were one man short. The team was to consist of there team members and the
two of the were obviously one short. Lee planned to ask a girl he had a crush on, Laura, and Donald had no
objections. Though Lee was hesitant he asked here and she gave him n o concrete answer so they continued
to ask around to their friends. Stephen had band practice on the same nights the bowling games were to be
held and therefore was incapable of joining, even if he wanted to. Justin, Donald's best friend had wrestling. 
Brent was busy as well. Finally it came down to either a definite yes or no from Laura. She unfortunately,
had to decline from Lee's invitation. She said it was between bowling and getting a summer job. She said
that she needed to save up money for a car since she was turning sixteen. 

	After almost giving up hope Donald mentioned the league to Camille. She was interested but
unable to give a definite answer. Within a few days Camille had announced that she could join with them. 
The first positive step towards joining the league since Lee and Donald first saw the flyer. 
The three of them set up a couple of dates to go practice bowling so that they would be in good
shape when the first game came around. Even this was catastrophic. The first time they arrived late,
accumulated a pathetic score, and was run out by another league that needed their lane. They tried once or
twice more and each time go a little better.

	Meanwhile, Lee's next door neighbors were moving. They were practically gone when Lee and
Donald were planning the bowling league. 

	Before they knew it May 1st had rolled around, the date of the initial meeting. That evening,
before Donald left he was called by Camille. She had bad news. She would be unable to accompany them
to the first meeting. Donald told her he would take notes and relay them to her the next day at school. He
was disappointed but he didn't mind too much. Besides, he still had Lee.

	Anyway, Donald went on to the meeting and arrived a few minutes late due to his prolonged
conversation with Camille. Lee hadn't arrived yet but he went on in. He told them Camille couldn't come
and Lee was on his way and so the meeting started. Besides Camille and Lee, there were others that weren't
present as well. As time elapsed and the meeting ended they decided to have another meeting the following
week when everyone could be there. Donald left and went home afterwards. Realizing that Lee never
showed up. Having to go to the meeting by himself made Donald mad but because he is such a submissive
type of person he said nothing. Besides it was a team effort not just his. He understood Camille's reason for
not showing up but he was a little perturbed by not hearing from Lee.

	The next day on the school bus Donald relayed all the information he noted from the meeting to
Lee. When Stephen's stop came he asked Lee, "How'd it go at the meeting?"

	Joking Donald said, "How would he know? He wasn't there."

	Apparently taking offense at Donald's innocent comment Lee replied "Oh, so you're calling me a
slacker? I can't believe it. My own cousin calling me a slacker!" Then on thing led to another and suddenly
both of them weren't even speaking to each other.  

	Donald gave Camille the information in their computer class but neglected to tell her that he and
Lee weren't speaking. This went on for several days. Then Sunday, May 5th, the two of them were taken to
their uncle's birthday party being held at their cousin's house. There they made up and began to talk to each
other again; but it wasn't until the end of the party. Afterwards, Donald rode his bike to do laps around the
graveyard when he saw Lee and Brent at the fire station, which is to the immediate south of the graveyard. 
Donald rode for a few minutes and decided to return home. He wanted to ride up to Brent and Lee but he
decided not to since they just made up an hour ago. But, as fate would have it Lee called Donald over as he
was riding by. So he rode over to them. They walked Brent home and the Lee said, "Hey, you haven't met
my new neighbors yet have you?"

	Apparently they had moved in sometime before. Donald told him no and so they walked up to their
house. He told Donald about how they had a daughter and a little son. As they approached their house a
little boy was sneaking and hiding about a bush watching them. He had toys here and their in the yard where
he had been playing with them. When they approached Lee said, "Hey, little man." He smiled and remained
silent. "Is your sister home?" The boy nodded. "Can you go get her? Ask her if she wants to come walk
with us." The boy happily ran inside and he came back out a few seconds later. Then his sister came out. 
"Hey, what's up?!", asked Lee.

	"Hey.", she replied.

	"Hey, Jennifer, this here is my cousin, Donald Cline.", Lee pointed to Donald. He smiled and said
hey. She returned his greeting. "Do you want to go walking with us?", Lee asked.

	"Where at?", she asked looking around.

	He said, "We can walk up and down your road. I can tell you about the neighbor and the people
around here." She said ok, but she would have to tell her parents. She did so and the three of them went
walking. Lee and Jennifer talked and Donald mostly just smiled and listened. Jennifer seemed friendly and
happy. She probably was somewhat relieved thinking she may have found some friends.

	As time went by Lee announced that he was dropping out of the bowling league. Then that left
Donald and Camille in a predicament. But luckily Camille's sister, Karen, volunteered to take Lee's place. 
May 15th approached quite soon after that and it begun. Camille, Karen, and Donald were in the bowling
league. Being in the league changed things between them, for the better. Donald and Camille became closer
friends. Plus, Karen and Donald became friends.

	While Camille, Donald, and Karen were bowling, Lee joined a softball team. Lee made ties with
other people the same way that Donald did. Meanwhile Lee and Donald were getting to know Jennifer. 
They even met one of her friends, Amber. Somewhat painfully for Lee.

	One summer day, she came over to visit with Jennifer and while there Jennifer introduced her to
Lee. Amber at that particular moment was in a foul mood and some what depressed. Jennifer, who was 
worried about her, asked Lee to talk to her. He did so and was not completely successful. He had trouble
talking to her in the mood she was in. But he did manage to calm her down. After that he decided to go
walk around the graveyard but Jennifer wanted to go. Amber, somewhat relentlessly, accompanied them as
well. While they were walking they heard people in the woods. It was Jennifer's twin brother, Joanh and
some other people. Jennifer wanted to sneak up on them so Lee said he would take them through the
woods to them. Amber was caution in following them.

	A short walk turned into a voyage. The two girls, who were not used to hiking in the woods,
constantly got caught in briars and other predicaments. Lee had to get them out them after time again and
when they finally reached where Jonah and them had been they were gone. Amber now started getting mad. 
She said, "Great! Just great! When had to go all through these woods, through the briars and mud just for
us to get here too late?! I bet you're on Jonah's side.", looking at Lee. "You're probably luring him here!"

	Lee was insulted by her remark, "I've just about had it with you, girl! Here I go out of my way to
talk to you, be friendly to you, take you through the woods just so you can see Jonah, pull those briars off of
you until my hands bleed and then you accuse me of being an enemy?" He continued to tell her off until she
couldn't take it anymore. As he turned to leave she spontaneously ran her fingernails down his back just to
get even. He started fussing and yelling about how badly she clawed him for know reason. When in fact she
actually broke the skin on his back. He took them to Jennifer's house and he returned home as well.
On the next visit Amber was less depressed and upset. She planned to spend the night with Jennifer
and since Jennifer's parents were going off that night they invited Lee and Donald to a "party." They went
and though they said it was torture, they really had a good time. It wasn't too long before Lee admitted he
liked Amber. He had Jennifer to talk to her on the phone about going out with him. She wouldn't give him
a concrete answer because she was too shocked.

	It was several days before she would answer him and while he was waiting he realized he liked the
preacher's daughter, Joy. He was good friends with her brother, Ben, and so whenever the conversation
would end Lee would ask about Joy. Ben quickly realized that Lee had a crush on Joy. Before he knew
what was going on he had a crush on two girls and he was tempted to withdraw his proposal to Amber. He
went mad trying to decide who he liked more, Amber or Joy. Both had a specific quality that he admired. 
Amber was kind of a "rough 'n" as he called her. She was tough and she believed in standing up for herself
and her friends. A quality that most girls do not have. However, he found Joy more attractive. She was
more feminine and she never got mad. He probably admired this quality the most, especially for his back.
But he finally decided who he liked more when Amber declined to go out with him. Then he
decided he still had to ask her out. This was nearly impossible for him.

	While all this was going on, one of Jennifer's friends was moving in just a few houses down. Amy
was introduced to every one and she quickly fit in with everyone. Knowing Jennifer helped her move a lot
less stressful. She already had a friend in the neighborhood and Jennifer introduced her to everyone else.
Then one night while Donald and Lee were walking they noticed that Joy was home alone. This
provided a perfect opportunity for Lee to talk to her. But he was very nervous. Even Donald hated to see
this opportunity blown. He told Lee, "You have got to talk to her! It's perfect, you know she's gonna be
the one to answer the door. She's the only one home!"

	He replied, "I know it, man, but now's just not the time."

	"Well, I would go up there if you wanted me to.", Donald said joking.

	"What would you say?", Lee asked Donald thought a second and gave Lee a trial run and he liked
it. So Donald went up there and rung the doorbell so she came to the door and turned on the light to see
who it was. Seeing the light come on Lee knew she came to the door and with a burst of nervous energy he
dived behind a tombstone.

	Donald started, "Hey. You know Lee Boggs, right?" She nodded. "Well, he likes you and he's
been driving me and his other friends crazy talking about you. About how much he likes you n' stuff so I
finally decided to come talk to you for him and see if you wanted to go out with him."

	He watched as she smiled and said, "Oh! Well, I don't really know him. Tell him that. Tell him
that I don't really know him. I might if I get to know him better." They said bye to each other and Donald
returned to the graveyard. He didn't see Lee but when he approached a tombstone, Lee creeped around
from behind it. Donald told him what Joy had said and they each went home.

	Lee didn't get his girl, at least not right away, but he wanted Donald to have a girlfriend. He was
constantly looking for someone for him. Even if he had to invent certain things. First he started with
Camille. He started telling him what a perfect couple they would make and how he could tell she like him. 

	"Man, I'm telling you; ya'll would make a perfect couple!", Lee would say.

	"No.", Donald would reply.

	"Why not?"

	"Because, she doesn't like me."

	"Yeah right! Didn't you see her? She likes you and you like her too!"

	"No", Donald would protest, "Not like that I don't."

	"Why don't you ask her?"

	"Because, one, we're friends. Two, she doesn't like me like that. Three, even if she did it would
put a strain on our friendship and I don't want that!"

	"Why is it so hard for you to admit you like her? I admitted I liked Joy, and Amber.", Lee asked.

	"I do like her, as a friend."  Lee would keep this up for several months and they would have the
same conversation over and over whenever Camille's name was brought up. Donald always convinced him
that he was either seeing things or was dreaming. Lee even would tell people that Donald had a girlfriend if
he would ask her. Donald would try to tell them Lee was wrong but he rarely convinced them.
After a while Donald almost started to believe Lee's tales. After hearing them for so long one begins
to wonder if it's really just talk. No matter what he was thinking Donald would always assure Lee that they
would not go out and each of them didn't like each other in a way that wasn't platonic. Eventually Lee
stopped. Not long after Camille got a boy friend. Just as Donald had told him. Lee done the same for other
girls; like Karen and Jennifer but nothing ever become of his talk.

	The school year was coming to an end before most of them realized. This year had been so
eventful for Donald and Lee. This year Lee and Donald had different opinions about the closing of their
freshman year. Lee was ready and waiting to get out for the summer but Donald wasn't as anxious. He was
happy right where he was. He had made two very good friends this year. He had friends in a lot of his
classes and for the most part he had good teachers. He didn't want to have to leave just to come back in a
month or two with the possibility of not getting to see his friends as much. This is much how he felt the year
before when his best friend, Justin, transferred schools. But as he says, "What will be, will be." He doesn't
always believe this but he does say it often. School ended and summer began. Though this year the boys
had a hard time telling the summer form a prolonged weekend. It wasn't until August did they realize it was
summer vacation.

	The summer was short and sweet. Nothing extraordinary happened. Donald and Lee got to be
better friends with Jennifer and Amy. Lee played softball. Camille, Karen, and Donald bowled. Even
though they didn't win a game they did have fun. Donald especially enjoyed it. It was the first and possibly
the only time he was on a sports team. Though not everyone would consider it a sport. Bowling that
summer with them meant more to him that Camille and Karen would every know.

	Towards the end of the summer things started to change for everyone. Not as much for Donald but
the surrounding changes was easy for him to pick out. Camille turned sixteen and got her drivers' license. 
She then had "power supreme." Almost immediately after, she started going out with her boyfriend, Mike. 
Karen started high school. Then Jennifer and Lee took a turn for the worse.

	The friendship between Lee and Jennifer was unsteady and very rocky. The longer they knew each
other the less they liked each other. Donald, on the other hand, was just out there and was not very close to
Jennifer. By the time school had started Lee acted as if he utterly hated her. Then he hated Amber. Not
long after he stopped liking Amy. He never did tell anyone why he turned on them. Whether it was sudden
or there was a reason behind it only he knows. Jennifer desperately tried to become friends with him again
but he was very truculent. As the ties between Lee and Jennifer deteriorated new ones formed between her
and Donald. Where as Donald was sort of distant he became more of a friend. Donald knew Lee better than
she and he was able to help her forget about him.

	Things persisted until Lee completely turned his back on her and shut her out of his life. His
friendship was evidently more important to Jennifer than anyone had thought. No matter how horribly he
treated her she still wished to become friends again. Jennifer finally tired of the treatment, began to treat him
as she had been treated. Donald's alliance with Jennifer did not sit well with Lee. He even began to feel
betrayed. Donald tried several times to convince Lee not to treat Jennifer so badly but he wouldn't listen.
Jennifer's life was gyrating and losing her first friend in the neighborhood was hard on her. Poor
Jennifer even toyed with the horrific idea of suicide. Lee didn't know his cruelty was making such an impact. 
When Lee, the "Christian", saw how badly she was taking it he should have lightened up, at least. He was
relentless.

	Donald was having trouble as well. Lee was expecting total loyalty but Jennifer needed him as a
friend and he didn't hardly know what to do. Both Jennifer and Lee felt he should be all for or all against;
but he didn't want to lose either of them. This made it hard to have a peaceful birthday party. Donald felt as
if it were World War III. He invited Lee, Jennifer, Amy, Camille, Justin, and Karen. Even though most of
them didn't get along with one or more of the other guests. Lee didn't get along with Jennifer, Amy and
usually Justin. He was ok around Camille and Karen, as long as he didn't call one of them an "it." Jennifer
didn't like Lee and sometimes had spats with Amy. Justin didn't know most of them so he was ok, except if
him and Lee got into it. Camille and Karen didn't have any reason to dislike anyone at the party. The only
reason they wouldn't get along with anyone is if they had some sibling rivalry. Luckily when Donald had his
party everyone behaved his or herself. For the most part. 

	Things got even worse between Donald, Jennifer, and Lee. Finally when Donald would not turn his
back on Lee, Jennifer stopped being friends with Donald, as well. Though he shrugged it off at the time he
really missed being friends with her. It went straight from not being friends to being enemies. Donald
wanted her as a friend and definitely didn't want her as an enemy, so he tried to call a truce but she would
not accept. He again used the "What will be, will be" idea and accepted the fact that Jennifer and Lee were
no longer friends which would prevent him being friends with them both. Even though he couldn't be friends
with her he still prays for her.

	Time passes in ways that the human mind sometimes can't grasp. While the teenage mind is
thinking of his or her friends, science tests, and what to do this weekend the mind fails to see how easy to
manipulate the present is. The past is written in stone and cannot be changed. One must learn from the past
and use it as a tool to alter the present. The future is just as impossible to change. The future hasn't
occurred yet and cannot be changed either. So one should think about the present not the future and only to
remember to past.

	While time passed Joy and Ben moved out of state and left Lee. He made new friends at church
and at school to make up for the loss. Make additional friends, not to replace them. Justin turned sixteen
and got his license. Then Donald and Lee decided they had been lazy long enough and took driver's ed with
Karen. Camille squeezed in time after school for both a job and her beloved Mike. Jennifer continued to
remove herself from Lee and Donald's life until she was just another girl. Amy, who remained somewhat
neutral, didn't go away as Jennifer did but she never did become very close to them. 

	Some teenagers say that the teen years are the most difficult time in one's life; however, some
adults say the teens have it easy. Whether life is harder when one is young or older it is much more bearable
when one has friends.